1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape recording/reproducing apparatus capable of causing different tapes each having a different tape width to travel smoothly in the same recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, one example of a conventional magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus is explained. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus.
A cassette positioning spring 1 is a positioning spring for positioning and urging a cassette 2 at a predetermined position. The cassette 2 accommodates a magnetic tape 3 therein. A reference numeral 4 denotes a capstan, and a reference numeral 8 denotes a pinch roller. The magnetic tape 3 travels at a constant speed, being sandwiched by the capstan 4 and the pinch roller 8 and driven by a rotational force of the capstan 4. A reference numeral 5 denotes a magnetic head, and a reference numeral 6 denotes a guide drum. The guide drum 6 has an outer peripheral portion installed with a rotary magnetic head 5. There is provided a lead 16 to which the magnetic tape 3 is wound obliquely. The lead 16 supports a lower part of the magnetic tape 3 and guides the magnetic tape 3 to travel at a constant speed.
Reference numerals 90, 100 denote guide posts, which pull out the magnetic tape 3 from the cassette 2 and wind it around the guide drum 6. Further, reference numerals 91, 101 denote flanges provided on the guide posts 90, 100, respectively, and these flanges restrict an upper limit of the magnetic tape 3. Reference numerals 20, 21 denote inclined posts. These inclined posts 20, 21 are positioned so as to incline with respect to the magnetic tape 3 obliquely wound around the guide drum 6. A reference numeral 130 denotes a cassette detecting switch that detects whether or not a cassette exists. In other words, the cassette detecting switch 130 detects whether or not the cassette is loaded in a predetermined position. A reference numeral 140a denotes a beginning edge detector that detects a beginning edge of the magnetic tape, and a reference numeral 140b denotes an ending edge detector that detects an ending edge of the magnetic tape.
Hereinafter, an operation of the magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus constituted as described above is explained.
When the cassette 2 is loaded in the predetermined position and urged by the positioning spring 1, the cassette detecting switch generates a signal representing an existence of the cassette. In response to this signal, the guide posts 90, 100 and inclined posts 20, 21 pull out the magnetic tape 3 from an inside of the cassette 2 to wind it around the guide drum 6, and regulates an angle of the wound magnetic tape 3 with respect to the guide drum 6. The magnetic tape 3 travels at a constance speed by being sandwiched by the capstan 4 and the pinch roller 8 and driven by the rotational force of the capstan 4. The beginning edge detector 140a and the ending edge detector 140b detect the beginning edge and the ending edge of the magnetic tape 3 based on a transmitted quantity of light emitted from light emitting element (not shown) inserted and fixed in the cassette 2.
Furthermore, the magnetic head 5 records a signal by scanning the magnetic tape 3 and magnetizing it. FIG. 6 is a view showing a recording condition of the signal recorded in the magnetic tape 3. Recording regions are recorded in an inclined condition (i.e. inclined lines) with respect to a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape 3. Each one of these inclined lines of the recording regions is track 22.
However, in such a conventional constitution described above, it was not possible to selectively drive the magnetic tapes having different tape widths. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, such a construction results in that only the same width magnetic tape can be allowed to travel because the magnetic tape is restricted to its upper and lower positions by the flanges 91, 101 and the lead 16. Accordingly, it was not possible to use another type tape whose width is different from a predetermined one, thus there was a problem in that users are enforced to change a VGR based on a cassette to be used.
Recently, VCRs have become remarkably popular, and their styles of usage are variously changing. For example, an outdoor usage represented by a movie type VCR or a soft reproducing an absent recording chiefly represented by a stationary type VCR have been easily enjoyed at home. There are various requirements for these VCRs. On one hand size reduction is required for cassette tapes of the movie type VCR and, on the other hand, expansion of capacity and diversification of function are sought for cassette tapes of the stationary type VCR.
That is, it is preferable for the movie type VCR to use a small cassette accommodating a narrow width magnetic tape. To the contrary, it is desired for the stationary type VCR to use a large cassette accommodating a wide width magnetic tape to obtain a tape area as wider as possible, and hopefully, to enable not only a small cassette but a large cassette to record and/or reproduce.